A blog devoted to the discussion of the greatest movies ever made, or The Essential Films. From the beginning of cinema history to present day, these films are crucial to the education of anyone who loves the art of film making.

to pass. In fact, Caligari is hypnotizing Cesare to commit murders around the country. Can our hero, Francis, stop the murders before it is too late? Or worse yet, before he descends into madness?

This is perhaps THE defining work of German Expressionist cinema with its sharp angles and twisted backgrounds and exaggerated set design. The style lends itself to the psychological horror of the film. It's an intentionally distorted reality to keep the viewer consistently on edge and cause anxiety and stress. The entire film has a nightmarish quality and plays into the climax, which may possibly one of the first twist endings in cinema. Even the film's intertitles have a creepy, unsettling style, far from the standard font used at the time. The film draws attentions to its words. Film scholars have noted that Cesare, manipulated into committing crimes while sleeping, is an allegory to the horrors of Germany at the time, a nation devastated by World War I.

Robert Wiene's expressionist style has a clear influence on modern filmmakers, especially Tim Burton. Look to Edward Scissorhands, Batman and Beetlejuice for the clear homages to this film. From film noir to modern horror, this film's influence is felt everywhere. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is the pinnacle of paranoid horror films.

You fools, this man is plotting our doom! We die at dawn! He is Caligari!

Sunday, February 19, 2017

THE ACADEMY AWARDS are upon us, and who better to preview the big show on February 26th than YOUR favorite movie podcast! In Part 2, join SportsGuy515 and Adolfo, along with special guest co-host BRANDON DRAVEN, as they wrap-up #OscarMania with their personal picks for the BEST and WORST films of 2016. Which films will have the honor (and dishonor) of making the cut? You’ve gotta tune in to find out! PLUS – the trio will look ahead and preview 2017’s offerings. OVER 2 HOURS OF GREAT FILM DISCUSSION! Don’t just stand there – DOWNLOAD/STREAM NOW!!!

***PROGRAMMING NOTE: FORCED PERSPECTIVE will be off next week due to the Oscars (as well as SportsGuy’s tradition of attending the AMC 24-Hour Best Picture Showcase in New York City), but the show will be back the following weekend with an all-new episode recapping next Sunday’s big show. In place of FP next week will be a NEW episode of THE ESSENTIAL FILMS PODCAST (also hosted by Adolfo and SportsGuy) covering the classic Billy Wilder film, Some Like It Hot. It will definitely be a great show with an equally great discussion (as always), so be sure to be on the lookout for that! Enjoy the Oscars, folks – and until next time, as SportsGuy likes to say, “we are outta here!” ****

Sunday, February 12, 2017

THE ACADEMY AWARDS are upon us, and who better to preview the big show on February 26th than YOUR favorite movie podcast! In Part 1, join SportsGuy515 and Adolfo, along with special guest co-host BRANDON DRAVEN, as they begin the Oscar hype with a recap of the Golden Globes before moving onto reviews of Best Picture contenders Moonlight, Hell or High Water, Manchester By the Sea, Fences, and La La Land. In the last segment, the trio will give their Oscar predictions – which films and actors will take home statues come Oscar night? Find out on this explosive episode – ALMOST 2 HOURS OF GREAT FILM DISCUSSION! So what are you waiting for?